RX-79BD-1 Blue Destiny Unit 1
The RX-79BD-1 Blue Destiny Unit 1 is a variant of the RX-79［G］ Gundam Ground Type. It first appeared in Mobile Suit Gundam Side Story: The Blue Destiny. It was piloted by Yuu Kajima. Technology & Combat Characteristics After the RGM-79BD-0 Blue Destiny Unit 0 failed to provide satisfactory test results, the higher specification Blue Destiny Unit 1 was constructed to fulfil the task of testing the EXAM System.High Grade 1/144 Blue Destiny Unit 1 "Exam" (2017) The Blue Destiny Unit 1 is basically the Blue Destiny Unit 0's head unit, which contains the EXAM System, on a modified Gundam Ground Type's body. Thanks to the use of magnetic coating around the joints and additional verniers on its legs, the suit has topnotch mobility amongst the mobile suits of its time. The Blue Destiny Unit 1 also features improved generator output and better armaments; it uses the same beam sabers, shield and machine gun as the Gundam Ground Type, but replaced the latter's chest-mounted "multi-launcher" with a pair of chest Vulcans guns and chest wired-control missiles, and also has added head Vulcan guns. Armaments ;*Head Vulcan Gun :The pair of head-mounted vulcan guns are used to intercept incoming missiles and enemy units at close range. ;*60mm Chest Vulcan Gun :Mounted on each side of its cockpit, the pair of shell firing weapons have high-rate of fire but little power and can't damage the armor of a mobile suit, though they can damage lightly armored areas such as the sensors. They are ideal for shooting down missiles, and lightly armored vehicles. ;*Chest Wired-Control Missile :Mounted on the sides of the abdomen, the pair of wired-control missiles can function under Minovsky particle interference. ;*YHI YF-MG100 100mm Machine Gun :The standard armament for Federation's mobile suit ground forces during the One Year War that was developed by Yashima Heavy Industries. It has an alternate model number: "NF·GMG-Type.37/100mm". Equipped with a box magazine and folding stock, it has excellent rate of fire and is easy to wield. It utilized a smoothbore type barrel that lacked rifling and has to be replaced after firing 3000 rounds. The weapon could utilize three different types of ammunitions: HEAT (High Explosive Anti Tank), APFSDS (Armor-Piercing Fin-Stabilized Discarding-Sabot), and HESH (High Explosive Squash Head), allowing combat units to select the appropriate type to meet operational needs. ;*X.B.Sa-G-03 Beam Saber :The standard close range armament for most Federation mobile suits. The beam saber is a small cylindrical device held in the mobile suit's hands when operated and is powered by a rechargeable energy capacitor. The beam saber emits a blade of plasma contained by an I-Field and can cut through most armor not treated with anti-beam coating. The Blue Destiny Unit 1 has two beam sabers stored in its lower legs. ;*BLASH XBR-M-79E Beam Rifle :The same beam rifle as used by the Gundam Ground Type, it is a redesign of the RX-78-2 Gundam's XBR-M-79-07G beam rifle. Instead of the 79-07G’s large movable sensor, this rifle is fitted with the BP-SS-001 composite box-type sensor system utilized on the BR-M-79C-3 Beam Spray Gun and licensed from BOWA Corporation, granting the weapon improved targeting precision. ;*YHI FH-X180 180mm Cannon :A cannon developed by Yashima Heavy Industries as a long range weapon for use in 1G environment. It has an alternate model number:"NFHI·GMCa-type.09/". Its design is thought to have referenced the Zimmad Corporation’s ZIM/M-T-K175C Magella Top Cannon. It uses a six-rounds box magazine that is inserted into the top. ;*RGM*S-Sh-WF/S-00109 Shield :Mounted on the forearm, this small, light shield is commonly used by the Gundam Ground Type and GM Ground Type. Constructed of Luna Titanium alloy, it is designed to primarily protect the cockpit and other critical areas. Additionally, it can be used as a close range striking weapon in mobile suit combat. Furthermore, through lodging the spikes at the tip into the ground, the shield can serve as a free standing frontal defense. This also allows the mobile suit to use both hands to hold large caliber weaponry and maintain a stable firing position. Special Equipment & Features ;*EXAM System :A system that gave normal pilots the ability to mimic the power of Newtypes. While little is known about the mechanics of the system, the primary component is known to have been the captive soul of Newtype Marion Welch. The conflict of her soul with the bonds of the system made it extremely unstable and hard to control, to the point that the system - and the mobile suit - would sometimes go berserk. Eventually, a limiter is set in the EXAM system by Alph Kamra, restricting the Unit 1 to roughly half of its capabilities. While under the influence of the EXAM System, the mobile suit's optical sensors would glow red. History While Zeon recognized the effectiveness of Newtypes in battle, they also realized that natural Newtypes were very rare. Zeon thus experimented with increasing the number of Newtype-class pilots in two ways: *Development of artificial Newtypes, which did not produce results until too late in the One Year War. *Development of control systems that would allow regular pilots to operate at Newtype skill levels. Zeon researcher Professor Chlust Moses, as part of the latter program, developed the EXAM System and then defected to the Federation, bringing the EXAM technology with him. The Federation immediately began their own EXAM program, code named Blue Destiny, to take advantage of this technology and created the RGM-79BD-0 Blue Destiny Unit 0, RX-79BD-1 Blue Destiny Unit 1, RX-79BD-2 Blue Destiny Unit 2, and RX-79BD-3 Blue Destiny Unit 3. The stress that EXAM exerts on the pilot, however, limited any widespread adoption. EXAM lead researcher Alf Chamara went through several test pilots until he found the perfect candidate in Federation test pilot Yuu Kajima. Kajima spearheaded the California Base assault in the RX-79BD-1, where he confronted the Zeon MS-08TX［EXAM］Efreet Custom, another EXAM mobile suit piloted by Zeon ace Major Nimbus Schterzen in combat, resulting in the destruction of both the RX-79BD-1 and the MS-08TX(EXAM). Development of the EXAM System continued with the Gundam Blue Destiny Units 2 and 3. Gallery Blue Destiny 3.jpg|Re-illustration by Naoki for Mobile Suit Gundam Side Story: The Blue Destiny (2015 Manga) Blue Destiny 2.jpg Efreet Custom and Blue Destiny Unit 1.jpg|RX-79BD-1 and Efreet Custom Blue Destiny Unit 1 head shot.jpg|RX-79BD-1 Head Shot Three Blue Destiny MS.jpg|With Blue Destiny Unit 2 and Unit 3 Blue Destiny Unit 1 Illustration by Yu Taichi.jpg|Illustration by Yu Taichi Blue Destiny.jpg Bluedestinyefreet.png Blue Destiny Unit 1 - Gunpla Builders.jpg|Cameo in Model Suit Gunpla Builders Beginning G GM-Exam-Blue-Destiny-Unit-1.png|Cameo in Gundam Build Fighters Games rx-79gbd1_p01_MarmotTeam_GihrensGreed-BloodOfZeon.jpg|Accompanied by Guinea Pig Team's Hover Truck (from Gihren's Greed: Blood of Zeon) gw_bb1_bd1.jpg|As featured in Gundam War card game GGen_BD_Unit_1.png|As featured in SD Gundam G Generation Spirits BD Unit 1 Game SD G Gene OW.jpg ms_modal_unit_tbd_01.png|As seen on the game Gundam Diorama Front 3rd. Profile Missing Link BD-1.png|Mobile Suit Gundam Side Story Missing Link RX-79BD-1 Blue Destiny Unit 1 BO2.png|As seen in Mobile Suit Gundam: Battle Operation 2 Gunpla Hguc-rx79bd-1.jpg|1/144 HGUC Blue Destiny Unit 1 (2007): box art HGUC Blue Destiny Unit 1 Exam.jpg|1/144 HGUC Blue Destiny Unit 1 "EXAM" (2017): box art HGUC-BlueDestinyUnit1EXAM-MetallicGloss.jpg|1/144 HGUC Blue Destiny Unit 1 "EXAM" Gloss Injection (The Gundam Base Tokyo exclusive; 2019): box art SDGG-61-GundamBlueDestiny-Unit1.jpg|SDGG Gundam Blue Destiny Unit 1 (2001): box art HGUC Blue Destiny 1 Lineart.jpg|1/144 HGUC Blue Destiny Unit 1 (2007): line art Action Figures GFF_0027_BlueDestinyUnit1_box-front.jpg|Gundam Fix Figuration (GFF) #0027 "RX-79BD-1 Blue Destiny Unit 1 / RX-79BD-2 Blue Destiny Unit 2" figure set (2005): package front view GFF_0027_BlueDestinyUnit1_box-back.jpg|GFF #0027 "RX-79BD-1 Blue Destiny Unit 1 / RX-79BD-2 Blue Destiny Unit 2" figure set (2005): package rear view GFF_0027_BlueDestinyUnit1-BlueDestinyUnit2_Sample.jpg|GFF #0027 "RX-79BD-1 Blue Destiny Unit 1" figure (2005): product sample (left) with parts convertible to "RX-79BD-2 Blue Destiny Unit 2" figure (right) Notes and Trivia References External Links *RX-79BD-1 Blue Destiny Unit 1 on MAHQ.net ja:RX-79BD-1 ブルーディスティニー1号機